CommentaryWhile the design for the Umbrella stand for the entrance hall of Manik Bagh Palace, Indore is today attributed to the palace’s architect, Eckart Muthesius, around 1934 the Italian architect and designer Agnoldomenico Pica (born 1907) developed a similar umbrella stand made of an open metal band. It is believed that the original umbrella stand for the palace might have been purchased in Paris.

The name Usha (divine daughter) was perhaps a reference to the daughter of the Maharaja, Maharini Usha Devi. Usha is also a goddess of Hindu mythology commonly understood to welcome birds and ward off evil spirits. Maharini Usha Devi also has a cricket ground named after her.

Muthesius’ furniture designs for Manik Bagh Palace owe much to the highly polished metal forms of his friend, Constantin Brancusi. He was also heavily influenced by the work of Naum Gabo and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy that was exhibited in Berlin in the early 1930’s. 1934 was also the year of the ›Machine Art‹ exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, an exhibition that showcased a large number of industrially manufactured products with clear affinities to the young architect’s work.

While the design for the Umbrella stand for the entrance hall of Manik Bagh Palace, Indore is today attributed to the palace’s architect, Eckart Muthesius, around 1934 the Italian architect and designer Agnoldomenico Pica (born 1907) developed a similar umbrella stand made of an open metal band. It is believed that the original umbrella stand for the palace might have been purchased in Paris.

The name Usha (divine daughter) was perhaps a reference to the daughter of the Maharaja, Maharini Usha Devi. Usha is also a goddess of Hindu mythology commonly understood to welcome birds and ward off evil spirits. Maharini Usha Devi also has a cricket ground named after her.

Muthesius’ furniture designs for Manik Bagh Palace owe much to the highly polished metal forms of his friend, Constantin Brancusi. He was also heavily influenced by the work of Naum Gabo and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy that was exhibited in Berlin in the early 1930’s. 1934 was also the year of the ›Machine Art‹ exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, an exhibition that showcased a large number of industrially manufactured products with clear affinities to the young architect’s work.